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Saturday, December 31, 2016

31 December 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 994, Introducing Pathos into the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher
has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy. I'll keep you
informed. More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy
them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.
This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in
installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in
addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel
was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and
tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this
blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example
of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll
keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my
writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production
schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I
employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the
writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1. The initial scene (the
beginning)

2. The rising action

3. The climax

4. The falling action

5. The dénouement

The theme statement
of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed
title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si,
is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry
and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Essie:
Enchantment and the Aos Si. Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover
Proposal

The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.I’m also working on my 29th novel,
working title School.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene
input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any
novel.

Scene development:

1. Scene input (easy)

2. Scene output (a little
harder)

3. Scene setting (basic stuff)

4. Creativity (creative
elements of the scene)

5. Tension (development of
creative elements to build excitement)

6. Release (climax of creative
elements)

How to begin a novel.Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea.I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement.Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.Here is an initial cut.

For novel 28:Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the
X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns
about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 29:Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie
and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the
problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

Would you like to write a novel that
a publisher will consider?Would you
like to write a novel that is published?How about one that sells?

As an author, don’t lose the
advantage of building and developing pathos in revelation.If your characters can be made to build
pathos through revelation, so much the better.Milk it for everything it’s worth.

Most of the time we are working with
Romantic or with at least larger than life characters.Many of these characters are not pathos
building to begin with.A little
misfortune here, a little pain and suffering there, and you have a pathetic
character.Remember, pathetic and pathos
means they create powerful and correct emotion.The perfect example of a pathos building Romantic (or larger than life)
character is the hero veteran from Southeast Asia.These people are tough, true specimens of
powerful, strong, well-trained soldiers.When they are injured or maimed, they become immediately pathos
building.There is absolutely nothing
subtle about a brave man or woman who has lost a limb or worst in the fight for
freedom.This is one of the most
powerful pathos building revelations or events you can create in
literature.I’m surprised it hasn’t been
used more often.You see it in some very
few novels.In general, the twentieth
century was embarrassed about its war wounded.Not so much today—people are not embarrassed, they are ready to accept
and feel for them.

This is just one example, but a very
powerful one.The typical revelation and
developed pathos are more simple:the
suddenly hungry, the guy who lost his job, the guy who lost his family or
wife.You can go on and on.As I noted, Flavia DeLuca is a potentially
very powerful pathos character, but the author completely or nearly completely
misses this characteristic in her.You
see places where it rears its head out of the weeds, but then it’s gone
again.What I could do with such a
character—I’d draw out every nubbin of pathos.She wouldn’t act much different, but the picture would be much
different.This may be part of the
problem with the later novels—you can love a kid who is tough, but
suffering.It is very hard to love a kid
who is tough without much real reason for it.Just say’n.

Friday, December 30, 2016

30 December 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 993, Introducing Pathos into the Rising Action

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher
has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy. I'll keep you
informed. More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy
them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.
This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in
installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in
addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel
was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and
tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this
blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example
of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll
keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my
writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production
schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I
employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the
writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1. The initial scene (the
beginning)

2. The rising action

3. The climax

4. The falling action

5. The dénouement

The theme statement
of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed
title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si,
is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry
and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Essie:
Enchantment and the Aos Si. Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover
Proposal

The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.I’m also working on my 29th novel,
working title School.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene
input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any
novel.

Scene development:

1. Scene input (easy)

2. Scene output (a little
harder)

3. Scene setting (basic stuff)

4. Creativity (creative
elements of the scene)

5. Tension (development of
creative elements to build excitement)

6. Release (climax of creative
elements)

How to begin a novel.Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea.I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement.Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.Here is an initial cut.

For novel 28:Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the
X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns
about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 29:Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie
and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the
problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

Would you like to write a novel that
a publisher will consider?Would you
like to write a novel that is published?How about one that sells?

I like to start with characters who
immediately introduce pathos into the writing, but many Romantic characters can’t
be made pathetic and some characters who initially seem strong and independent
can be made or revealed as pathetic.Remember,
pathetic means pathos developing, which means the character creates a strong
and appropriate emotions.

Let’s review Sorcha and Deirdre a
little.Sorcha is my major pathos building
character in this new novel.She
literally has nothing but a good mind and a fit and athletic body.She was in the British foster and homes
system until she beat up some girls.She
was sent to juvie prison and escaped.She decided she wanted to attend Wycombe Abbey and is now attending in
plain sight.She is not paying tuition,
and she is not officially on the student list.She has skills and is very tricky.She learned to get into the classes.Sorcha immediately builds pathos because we want to cheer for her
efforts—even if they are slightly illegal and wrong.At the same time, we want her to
succeed.Do you taste the Romantic
nature of her character too.

Deirdre is an altogether different
character.She has had everything she
needs—not perhaps everything she wants, but we know she has anger and fighting
issues—that’s why she was sent to Wycombe Abbey, and that’s why Luna is
watching her so closely.We realize that
Deirdre has never really been put upon, or we think we know this—the revelation
will be different.In any case, Deirdre
also builds pathos, but a different kind of pathos.We see her latching onto Sorcha as a kind of
sad need for friendship that she can’t really achieve any other way.

For the new character (no name yet),
she is a girl who is a day border.Day
borders are supposed to be included in the school Houses and structure, but
sometimes they aren’t despite the work of the teachers.This girl is poor, on scholarship, weird, a
great student, but very stuck up, and not in the good graces of those girls in
the power structure.You can see
immediately the pathos elements—these won’t be immediately evident.They must be revealed in the plot.Likewise, the force of the pathos elements of
Sorcha and Deirdre will be further revealed.This is similar to Flavia DeLuca.She is a great pathos revealing Romantic character.Her father is a nobleman, but her mother is
dead.She has a cook, but eats terrible food.She lives in a huge mansion that is falling
apart.She never thinks of herself as
poor, but she never has money in her pocket.I think the author should have made her even more pathos building, but
he didn’t.As an author, don’t lose the
advantage of building and developing pathos in revelation.There is much more about this.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

29 December 2016, Writing Ideas
- New Novel, part 992, Ideas in Tension, Developing the Rising Action, Themes
and Pathos

Announcement: Delay, my new novels can be seen on the internet, but the publisher
has delayed all their fiction output due to the economy. I'll keep you
informed. More information can be found at www.ancientlight.com. Check out my novels--I think you'll really enjoy
them.

Introduction: I wrote the novel Aksinya: Enchantment and the Daemon.
This was my 21st novel and through this blog, I gave you the entire novel in
installments that included commentary on the writing. In the commentary, in
addition to other general information on writing, I explained, how the novel
was constructed, the metaphors and symbols in it, the writing techniques and
tricks I used, and the way I built the scenes. You can look back through this
blog and read the entire novel beginning with http://www.pilotlion.blogspot.com/2010/10/new-novel-part-3-girl-and-demon.html.

I'm using this novel as an example
of how I produce, market, and eventually (we hope) get a novel published. I'll
keep you informed along the way.

Today's Blog: To see the steps in the publication process, visit my
writing website http://www.ldalford.com/ and select "production
schedule," you will be sent to http://www.sisteroflight.com/.

The four plus one basic rules I
employ when writing:

1. Don't confuse your readers.

2. Entertain your readers.

3. Ground your readers in the
writing.

4. Don't show (or tell) everything.

4a. Show what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted on the stage
of the novel.

5. Immerse yourself in the world of your writing.

All novels have five discrete parts:

1. The initial scene (the
beginning)

2. The rising action

3. The climax

4. The falling action

5. The dénouement

The theme statement
of my 26th novel, working title, Shape, proposed
title, Essie: Enchantment and the Aos Si,
is this: Mrs. Lyons captures a shape-shifting girl in her pantry
and rehabilitates her.

Here is the cover proposal for Essie:
Enchantment and the Aos Si. Essie is my 26th novel.

Cover
Proposal

The most important scene in any
novel is the initial scene, but eventually, you have to move to the rising
action. I started writing my 28th novel, working title Red Sonja.I’m also working on my 29th novel,
working title School.

I'm an advocate of using the/a scene
input/output method to drive the rising action--in fact, to write any
novel.

Scene development:

1. Scene input (easy)

2. Scene output (a little
harder)

3. Scene setting (basic stuff)

4. Creativity (creative
elements of the scene)

5. Tension (development of
creative elements to build excitement)

6. Release (climax of creative
elements)

How to begin a novel.Number one thought, we need an entertaining
idea.I usually encapsulate such an idea
with a theme statement.Since I’m
writing a new novel, we need a new theme statement.Here is an initial cut.

For novel 28:Red Sonja, a Soviet spy, infiltrates the
X-plane programs at Edwards AFB as a test pilot’s administrative clerk, learns
about freedom, and is redeemed.

For novel 29:Sorcha, the abandoned child of an Unseelie
and a human, secretly attends Wycombe Abbey girls’ school where she meets the
problem child Deirdre and is redeemed.

Would you like to write a novel that
a publisher will consider?Would you
like to write a novel that is published?How about one that sells?

Time to introduce a new character
into my novel, School.I had a brilliant idea for a new character to
add to the novel I’m currently writing.The theme statement for the novel is writen above under novel 29. I’m currently writing the rising action.I’m introducing the plot line (storyline) at
the moment in the novel.What that means
is I’m providing the setup for the climax.In this case the setup is training by Luna of Sorcha and Deirdre.Sorcha is our little hiding soul, and Deirdre
is our misunderstood/too well understood problem child.I had a great idea for a character that
touches concepts outside these three—including Luna.

Where Sorcha is a striver who will
never give up, and Deirdre is a fighter who never saw a problem she couldn’t
bash her way through, I want to add in a pathos character who uses her intellect
and apparent social position to move ahead.Where Sorcha is simply hiding in plain view, this girl is putting on
airs to hide in plain view.The pathos
of this entire situation is that she is an absolute fraud.Her secret is that she has nothing at all yet
she uses her skills to gain position with others.I’m still trying to decide how to integrate
her in the novel and with Sorcha and Deirdre.My initial thought about this character was the idea of three girls
going on a bike ride.Sorcha and Deirdre
have time trial bikes—that’s tri road bikes.Sorcha says, let’s go for distance.Deirdre says, let’s go for speed.This new character has an old Raleigh with a basket, high handlebars,
and a bell.She says, let’s go for
fun.Then she beats the other two.The point is that this girl is as competitive
and strong as Deirdre and Sorcha, but she hides her strength under a persona of
sweetness and dignity.

About Me

L. D. Alford is a novelist whose writing explores with originality those cultures and societies we think we already know. His writing distinctively develops the connections between present events and history—he combines them with threads of reality that bring the past alive. L. D. Alford is familiar with technology and cultures—he is widely traveled and earned a B.S. in Chemistry from Pacific Lutheran University, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Boston University, a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Dayton, and is a graduate of Air War College, Air Command and Staff College, and the USAF Test Pilot School. L. D. Alford is an author who combines intimate scientific and cultural knowledge into fiction worlds that breathe reality. He is the author of three historical fiction novels: Centurion, Aegypt, and The Second Mission, and three science fiction novels: The End of Honor, The Fox’s Honor, and A Season of Honor.